Year 1
Part 1 - Unlikely friendships
Marlene entered the big hall and tried to concentrate on the older witch who gave instructions and explained the rules of the school. But she couldn't. She was flooded by the river of voices and thoughts coming from others, which made her feel more and more unsettled. She stuck the earplugs her mother gave her and kept her head low. 'Stay out of trouble, Mournleen', Marlene remembered her mother's words as she was handed the earplugs. As if these could have stopped all the noise that was entering her ears and mind. She looked around at all the children her age, who were visiting Hogwarts for the first time and who were already making friends. She wanted to, she just couldn't. It was impossible to focus on the teacher's loud, strong voice, let alone one voice in a sea of a million others. Each one as high-pitched as the other. She counted the brown-haired girls in the crowd. Her mother always told her to do that when they were outside in busy places. But Marlene preferred avoiding such situations altogether. She managed to survive the introduction without an unpleasant incident in sight and walked with the group of first years towards the table of the teachers. On a stage, just a few meters away from the new students, was a hat placed on a chair. She had heard of it and had grown to fear the moment she would be chosen. For once in her life, she could make her parents proud. She just had to be placed in Ravenclaw.
The first name was called. "Sirius Black!" A boy with an uneasy expression sat down and waited for the Headmaster to put the hat on him. Marlene could have sworn that the boy stopped breathing in the moment he felt the Sorting Hat on his head. But Marlene also stopped breathing. "Hmm... A young, cunning boy, filled with ambition to prove himself with the spirit of a rebel," she heard the Sorting Hat. But the Sorting Hat's lips hadn't moved. No one seemed to hear the hat's words. Except for Sirius, who seemed close to fainting. "Slytherin would surely be the perfect place for such a rebel soul." Once again, the lips didn't move. "No, please don't, I would rather end up in Hufflepuff," Marlene heard a voice again, this time she assumed it belonged to the boy. Except his lips hadn't moved either. She had always had a fine sense for emotions and certain thoughts, but not this specific. And it had never gotten so quiet. For the first time in years, it was quiet while standing in a crowd of people. Her mind was only picking the Sorting Hat and the boy. "A troublemaker as well," the Sorting Hat thought again. "A strong sense of justice and loyal anyone who would give you the time of their day."
"Gryffindor!" The Sorting Hat shouted for everyone to hear. The whole room, with the Gryffindor table being the loudest, erupted into clapping. And the noise was back. Everyone's emotions were back. And it was as if someone had poured boiling water on her after a hot summer day. And each time someone was being chosen, the waves of noise and sensations stopped, as if the only people left in the room were her, the first year on the chair and the hat.
"Lily Evans!" A redhead walked up the stage and despite the insecurity underneath, no one except Marlene could have guessed exactly how anxious she was. And without missing a beat, the Sorting Hat made its decision: "Gryffindor!"
"Hestia Jones!" Nothing interesting about her besides the Greek Mythology inspired name, Marlene thought to herself. "I have a whole speech as to why I should be put into Ravenclaw," the girl started thinking but was interrupted by the hat. "Ravenclaw!" Was this one just granting wishes right and left?
She started zoning out before a peculiar name got her attention. Remus Lupin. Anyone with an interest in Latin would have been amused by the name. "Remus Lupin!" This one boy, unlike the girl before, looked scared. But he was so closed off, Marlene couldn't pick up anything from him, which happened very rarely. Mostly with people who held deadly secrets. The type of secrets a normal person would never want to unveil. "Gryffindor!" Nothing seemed Gryffindor-like about him. Maybe he had begged to be sorted into that house.
A few more kids were sorted here and there before the next intriguing name was called. "Marlene McKinnon!" Marlene held her breath for a few seconds before moving and suddenly, not even realizing how fast she had moved, was sat on the chair with the hat on her head. "The wish of having a quiet life, isolated from others. But also unwavering loyalty, even to those who wronged you most. You have a lot of love in your heart, despite feeling the need to bury it deep. Hufflepuff would be a good fit."
"No, don't," Marlene thought. "I know that the others begged you for other houses, ones that they wouldn't necessarily fit. I want to be in Ravenclaw. No, no, it's not that I want, I need... I have to be a Ravenclaw!"
"You will be fine," the hat replied and felt the smirk of the talking and thinking object. "Hufflepuff!" He yelled.
"No!" Marlene jumped up. "It's broken! Everyone else could choose!" That must have been the breaking point. And the noises were all back. "I'm supposed to be in Ravenclaw," the first year raged. And it would have a comedic scene, had the fires of the candles not started to flicker. Some went out, while others were only becoming more intense. Until one of them set the blue and silver banner on fire. The teachers immediately split up. A few guided the students outside, a few stayed in the dining hall to put out the fire. Only Marlene wasn't moving. The first boy, the youngest of the Black family, reappeared next to Marlene, who was still stuck in her catatonic state, staring at nothing. He dragged her hand just as a few teachers started yelling for them to get out. Marlene's legs were moving, but her mind had long stopped. There was no input, barely output. All these outbursts calmed her mind down. It was the best-worst feeling in the world. She felt normal, but at the cost of everything else.
As soon as the flames were extinguished, the ceremony continued, but Marlene remained in the Hospital Wing, in her catatonic state. Of course, it didn't continue right away. They gave Sirius his moment of fame for being the hero and saving McKinnon. And he enjoyed every single moment of it. When he sat back at the Gryffindor table, a redhead turned to him. "Is she alright?" She asked with a concerned expression.
"Huh?" Sirius replied confused.
"The McKinnon girl."
"Oh, her. She's fine, I guess. She seemed kind of mentally gone, but is physically fit."
"Poor girl," the girl shook her head. "Everyone has been talking so badly about her."
"Well, being sorted into Hufflepuff doesn't warrant this big of a meltdown. Next time, she'll know to control herself."
"Such outbursts are simply unacceptable," a voice came from behind them. It was a girl from the Ravenclaw table. "Hestia, by the way."
"Lily."
"On Merlin, I didn't know such insufferable creatures got into Hogwarts. I thought the Forbidden Forest is reserved for things like you," Sirius snickered. He had been faster than Lily to respond. Lily gave him a shocked look, but didn't contradict him. And despite expecting an aggressive reaction, it never came. Hestia simply scoffed and turned around. But not even Sirius could fight everyone who dared criticize the cause of the fire. Because everyone was talking shit about Marlene. Everyone had a piece of mind to give and shit comments and soon rumors started to form. As fast as they could form in a boarding school.